A twenty-something year old Stasys embodies a global hipster generation, a culture of young creative adults that could be found in Vilnius, London, Berlin, Kuala Lumpur or New York, geography no longer plays a leading role in understanding the identity of the millennial generation. His life is defined by superficial glamour – parties, social media envy, fashion world and a job in the creative industry. It is a type of life that looks great through Instagram filters, however deep down under lays a frustration, an alienation and an apathy. The story begins on an early morning of a 29th birthday of Stasys. He wakes up next to a woman he doesn’t know and begins to suspect that his seemingly perfect life as a social media star in New York is devoid of any meaning. Determined to find his purpose, he does what confused white people have done for centuries – he travels in search of mythical, exotic South East Asia. Each generation creates their own mythical destinations of salvation and disappointment – Banana pancake trail is where most twenty-something year olds travel in search of self.

In Bangkok Stasys meets Alex, a troubled new-Russian who is trying to escape his nouveu-rich life and a depressive state of a contemporary Russian realities. They both grew up in post-Soviet countries and share a passion for expensive sneakers and whiskey. Joined by a Welsh Kenny they embark on a quest to produce a documentary about the mysterious disappearance of a Mongolian model in Malaysia. Soon they find themselves entangled in a twisted world of corruption, power play and murder.

Gabija Grusaite (DOB 26/01/1987) is an author and a curator. She has graduated with a BA degree in Anthropology & Media from Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK. Gabija creative pursuit is defined by relentless search of new horizons through travel. In 2009 she has settled in Penang, Malaysia where she has co-founded an independent contemporary art centre Hin Bus Depot in 2014 and has been curator-in-chief since. Gabija has curated numerous art projects specializing in the realm of public art, she is also a resident curator for Vilnius Street Art festival. Gabija’s literary debut was a novel “Unfulfilled” published by Baltos Lankos publishing house in 2010. The novel has received a critical acclaim and proved to be controversial and very timely text that captured the psyche of the post-Soviet millennials who has left the country to continue studies in Western Europe, the first Lithuanian generation to experience globalisation. The Lithuanian Institute of Literature has selected “Unfulfilled” as part of the shortlist of 12th Most Creative Books, a prestigious annual award. The novel has earned a reputation as a controversial work because many conservative literary critics have been shocked by the apathy and aloofness shown by the characters of the novel. “Unfulfilled” has triggered a discussion about the value system of the millennials and contributed in raising questions about the identity construction of the young people who grew up in the independent Lithuania.